


You and Me, Living in a Fantasy

by SpaceCows



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: M/M, Presumed Dead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2020-11-26 21:33:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20937080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceCows/pseuds/SpaceCows
Summary: Dead, a four letter word zim would have never hoped to hear. His antenna twitched, almost out of habit for the fourth time this earth month. He was in bed, a cold sweat running down his head. Every night since the end of the florpus, zim would have these dreams, dreams that had consisted of one thing, one terrible, disgusting thing. Oh how he wished he had never came to this god forsaken planet. Then maybe, maybe something would be different...Maybe Dib would still be alive.





	1. Chapter 1

Dead.

A four letter word zim would have never hoped to hear.

His antenna twitched, almost out of habit for the fourth time this earth month. He was in bed, a cold sweat running down his head. Every night since the end of the florpus, zim would have these dreams, dreams that had consisted of one thing, one terrible, disgusting thing.

Oh how he wished he had never came to this god forsaken planet.

Then maybe, maybe something

would be different...

Maybe Dib would still be **alive.**

///////////////////

_FOUR YEARS AFTER THE EVENTS OF ENTER THE FLORPUS_

///////////////////

The ex-invader got up and proceeded to get his disguise on, so as not to be detected. He realized of course he didn't have to do this, but felt like it was enough of a respectful tribute to the dib thing. Of course he still went to skool. He had made a promise to himself after dib's death he would take care of his sister, gaz.

He had watched her over the years as she grew into a teenager, no longer the same kid who played on her gamepad, and now taking up dib's dream. He supposed it was considered an honorable deed. Still that didn't mean these past few years hadn't been rough. Gaz had blamed him for her brother's death, which he supposed was somewhat understandable. She refused to talk to him and even consider his assistance. Which zim found frustrating to an extent. He just wanted her to be safe, it's what dib would have wanted. Eventually though he did break through to gaz and explained his side of the story, promising her, he would never intentionally hurt dib after their friendship had first blossomed. 

But he supposed, those thoughts would have to wait, seeing as how Gaz was waiting for him at the bus stop. 

"Hey spaceboy, what took you so long?" she asked as soon as he approached her.

That was another thing with her, after they became friends, zim had realized that she had started calling him spaceboy, just like his dib. At first he felt a variety of emotions, before finally settling on one and smiling in gratitude that at least one thing that was part of their old lives would never change.

"Hello Gaz Brain" He knew the name had annoyed her essentially, but she let him continue anyway.

"Y'know...today would've been the day the florpus had happened..those four years ago."

Zim turned, startled. She hadn't said a word of the events that had taken place, until now...the anniversary of sorts. He swallowed and shook the cold feeling off. The bus had arrived and both stepped on, continuing the conversation, despite zim's discomfort.

"Heh, I remember dib being so angry with you. The child like glint in his eyes when he decided to execute that stupid plan of his."

she sighed, zim could sense with his antenna that she was sad, even if they were covered by his stupid wig. His only response was to pat her on the back.

"I'm sorry."

she wiped at her eyes and forced herself to look at zim, a small smile finding its way onto her face. 

"It wasn't your fault zim, no one could have ever predicted what happened to dib."

"I suppose." The irken muttered, a sense of pain in his Squeedly spooch.

/////////////////////

"Dib membrane, son of Professor Membrane and Brother of Gazalene membrane, Enemy of Invader zim. For your crimes against humanity in helping the enemy and almost destroying our world as we know it. You will be punished. Even if this has only happened four years prior, it does not excuse, the horrific events that took place. Do you understand?"

These words have rung through dib's head since he first had gotten taken to the facility. All those months had passed by and he knew his family had probably by now, presumed him to be dead. Which of course he couldn't blame them for. But the only thing he thought about for months on end besides those stinging words was zim. The stupid alien had been plaguing his mind for far too long. He had been the only thing that held some meaning to him besides his family, in a strange way it he kept him sane. Despite everything. He smiled for the first time in awhile and immediately started sobbing, he missed his family and god damnit did he miss that bastard irken.

His tears that followed poured down like a waterfall, constantly flowing. He couldn’t take this anymore, he wanted to go home. He wanted to see his family. He wanted to see zim.

He wanted out.

He missed gaz’s 16th birthday and he hated it.

He missed out on years of potential decoding of the irken empire.

He missed out on showing his father he wasn’t just some..some....

insane child.

He remembered his dad’s words “I’ve always been proud of you son” 

oh, what would he think of him now?

He wouldn’t think of him, no one would. Because dib membrane was dead as far as the world knew and it would stay that way. It would stay that way for awhile.


	2. Lies deceive a wonderful web leaving you tied up and dead.

_Oh how a great scientist had fallen._

_ Professor membrane locked himself in his lab, researching, waiting, scheming, anything he could do within the laws of science. As the smartest man alive he was determined to find his son. _

_and by god he wouldn’t stop until his last breath if he had to. _

_//////////////////////_

_Gaz remembered the last time her father spoke to her before locking himself away in his laboratory, his entire being seemed unnerved at best. His tone of voice was mysterious and his words faltered as he paused every now and than to clear his throat. She remembered his body shaking and wiping away the sweat. _

even if it was long ago..

she remembered it.

”Gazalene, since this news of your brother has come up. I’ve been thinking, maybe they’ve been wrong. Wrong about dib I mean.”

”what are you implying dad?”

“Your brother is alive gaz, I just know it. My boy may have been insane, but he’s still a membrane!

it had been 2 years since he said that. 

two years since she saw her dad and brother.

///////////////

"Gaz brain! are you still there?"

zim's voice echoed and snapped her out of those thoughts, she sighed and felt her heart ache, before looking at zim and giving a smile. He seemed relieved and gave her a reassuring glance as they continued. They both knew what the other was thinking since there was only one thing they could.

Stupid dib

////////////////

Plans to get out of the facility were hard enough seeing as how he didn't know where exactly this hell hole was. Along with cameras, and if he would even make it out to begin with, but dib was determined. Suddenly though, he heard shouts of protests and screams as the door went down. Everyone seemed to have fled from something and left dib behind with it. He was grateful, if only for a few seconds because of the distraction that was headed right for him.

He closed his eyes and held up his arm in defense preparing for the worse, only for nothing.

Slowly and cautiously he opened one eye and put his arms down. The silhouette standing before him seemed to have a familiar shape. He squinted in only for a second, to realize all together with a mix of fear, confusion, joy, and anger swirling inside.

He was..saved by..

an **_Irken_**

** _////////_ **

That night gaz went home with zim and decided that she needed company and figured zim did too considering the circumstance of the anniversary. As they were getting ready to watch movies that zim picked out, they turned on the TV and froze.

On her television the news channel was on and she didn't think much of it until she heard what they were saying. She felt her eyes burn and sting with tears...but for the strangest reason she didn't know why.

"Northwest Facilities has been compromised and destroyed, causing large fires to spread, Locals nearby said facility weren't able to explain anything claiming they couldn't remember anything. As for all the people inside said facility, multiple casualties and a body count of 50% of the workforce had taken place. Employees claim to have the same sense of deja vu despite the obvious terrorist attack."

Gaz paused the TV and felt her hands clenched into fists until her knuckles were white. Zim had picked up on this and turned to the TV screen scanning the injuries and felt his entire body go cold.

scratches against the wall and rags left behind and a all too familiar symbol left in the ruins in blood.

Zim walked closer feeling himself shaking in fear as he put a hand on the screen he turned staring right at gaz as she was him and the only thing that came out of his mouth shook her right to her core.

_"An Irken was there."_

his voice small, scared, and horrified.

Gaz was about to yell before he finished with a monotone voice wavering ever so slightly.

_"and they have dib."_


	3. escaping demons

"You can't be serious...that's impossible, zim is this some kind of sick joke?"

_Gaz felt her voice waver and opened her eyes, indicating she was very serious. A tension settled, and at first he said nothing...and then she saw it.. **tears.**_

_ zim..was crying_

"I know, it seems crazy but something tells me this is him gaz.. no irken would ever come back for random humans. It was you, me, and.."

"dib."

_gaz finished. She didn't believe it, this was dib..a regular human. There was no way that he could, no..no._

"I miss him too zim, but this isn't funny anymore."

_She wiped away tears, that had started to form underneath her own eyes. She glanced towards the irken's direction. Zim stood there shaking, mumbling and just as gaz started to approach he yelled. He yelled, his tone from comforting to denial. He huffed in frustration and glanced up at her and sighed putting his head in his hands._

_"_I know it gaz, dib is here."

Gaz cautiously stepped forward and spoke, as she did the t.v flickered in the background, the only light shining onto both of them

"Do you really believe that?" she tried only for zim to give a small nod making her heart drop.

She had one of two options, either go search for dib, or ignore. She knew the latter was the most logical thing and yet she felt herself still wanting to go with zim...even if it was slim, there was even a chance to find him and she knew what she had to do. For the sake of their family.

"Ok spaceboy, I'm in."

/////////////////////////

_He ran, irken footprints left behind and human footprints. As they ran together a million thoughts were flowing through his head. He kept looking back only for the irken to shout at him to keep his eyes forward. It felt so refreshing, the air..the trees, the beautiful cool crisp air. He felt alive again. He laughed and picked up the pace and felt himself smile as tears were the only thing flowing behind him now. The irken of course noticed this and smiled, man were humans weird. When both finally got out the woods they found a gas station, dib smiling to finally look back at his fellow escapee only for his face to pale slightly, he watched as her face went from one of kindness to shame._

**"I know the last thing you want to do is see me, but.."**

"I thought you were dead"

_dib gasped, feeling his eyes never blinking only watching in fear and intriguement. _ _He couldn't believe it, after all these years..even though it had been so long..he still knew her name by heart._

**"Tak."** He breathed out.

/////////////////////////

"Are you sure we're heading the right way?""

_They had been riding in zim's voot cruiser for 5 hours, gir came along with them of course, if only to be unpleasant company. Still it helped when someone needed to break the tension. Zim had been quiet most of the ride and yet gaz didn't understand why he hadn't even managed a single peep. For most of the ride gaz had only been staring out the window..watching how fast everything went by._

_////////////_

THE NEXT DAY

///////////

The two different groups awoke, feeling different. Gaz and Zim feeling hopeful for the first time in 4 years, while Dib and Tak felt unsure how to continue forward from here. As the morning continued on, thoughts of potentially seeing dib again plagued zim's mind. Even though he was truly never able to admit to anyone (including himself) that he cared for dib, when he had disappeared zim felt so terrible and responsible, to a point of where on several occasions he even tried to turn himself in just to free dib, only for the stupid humans saying to go home to his parents.

_As tak and Dib walked in silence, dib couldn't help but feel suspicious of the irken's true intentions, still she did help him. _

"So..what made you change your mind?"

Tak glanced up surprised, her expression softened and she spoke.

"I've been alone for awhile, but something changed and I scavenged for parts so I could come back and..apologize."

"That can't be it, I'm sorry..it just seems.."

"Suspicious?"

_Dib flustered by the irken's response only nodded in shame. As he was about to apologize, tak spoke up._

"If you get to ask me a question, I get to ask you one as well."

_Dib nodded, looking off to the side at the large pines surrounding them. As he felt himself let his mind start to wander, the question hit him right in the gut._

"Why on irk's were you in that facility?"

_Dib felt his body stop, freeze up like a statue almost. His expression manifested into one of fear as he slowly adjusted his glasses and breathing. He turned to Tak who had become mildly concerned, unsettled at best._

"Let's..j-just keep going." Dib swallowed as his pace quickened.

"Sure." The irken replied, crossing her arms as her movements slowed.

//////////////////////

"Feels like forever since we've started searching for him, how will we even find him? What if we don't even recognize him?"

_Zim flinched, not sure how to reply to gaz brain's accusations, he did not think through the possibility that dib stink might have looked any different then he did those four years ago. He felt his stomach tighten. _

_ **Please, let Dib be ok..** _

Zim prayed, as he put his foot down on the pedal for acceleration.


	4. A distant memory

_Pitter-patter, pitter-patter_, **the droplets land, dissipating right before zim's eyes. So many droplets of this deadly planet's supply of liquid fall from the clouds above. It's dark and he knows he'll just have to grit his teeth and move forward. If he wants to get back to his base, so be it. He starts to step forward and stops at the mere edge of the stairway down, He glances to see a puddle. Several puddles, and traffic, He imagines the scenario now and frowns. Stupid cover, Stupid banishment, Stupid irk, Stupid urth. Zim felt like a failure, of course, he did. Whatever. He gave in and stepped into the rain, the skool just behind him. He swallowed and grit his teeth as the rain hit him, drops, drip, drip, drip, plop, plops, he heard the sound of his skin sizzling, the familiar burning sensation came back. no one was here. So zim screamed, He screamed, yelled, kicked, and punched. He finally sat down despite the pain coursing through his body, his pak beeped and his antenna twitched, still, he was persistent and didn't move. Gir wasn't here, so no one to talk to-- except for...Dib. Dib, who had an umbrella, a primitive earth device used to block out the rain, yes..yes! Oh, but how would he convince him anyway? That big-headed stink would probably think that it was another trap, oh how frustrating that human can be. He was so focused on what dib could do, that he didn't consider what he possibly may do. This all happened so fast and it clicked for zim. A small tap on his shoulder revealed dib. There he was holding out one hand, the other with a big umbrella. <strike>Zim felt his squeedly spooch skip a beat. Why was his face warm?</strike> Why did that smile on that <strike>Tallest</strike> human make him weak? Why did he take his hand? Zim was silent for most of the walk. Though he supposed it didn't truly matter. All that mattered was that <strike>his</strike> dib was smiling at him and laughing. So zim smiled too, and he felt all the pain fade and then the rain stopped.** _Drip, Drip, Drop._

_//////////////////////////_

Zim bolted upright, as he clutched his chest. Gaz had been watching him as he did so and put a hand to his pak. He smiled at her gratefully for having such a good companion. Even though gir had been with him longer, Gaz was a bit more..well she generally was just smart and that was enough for Zim. He glanced at her as she opened her eyes and frowned, giving him one of her serious faces.

"It was about Dib again, wasn't it?" She wasn't surprised, she never really had been when it came to Zim. So when he told her the first time, she gave a sad smile and walked away. Now, however, she would just rub his pak and comfort to the best of her ability.

An electric whirr was heard and both heads immediately turned to see gir, charging and the Voot cruiser just reacting.

"Yes it was about Dib again, I don't understand why I keep dreaming about my memories of him though." He replied sadly

Gaz felt her heartache slightly and decided to change the tone of the conversation.

"I think I know why Zim."

Zim perked up at that and gave a hopeful smile. "Really?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Well, Zim demands you to tell him now!" Zim said feeling a rush of his former self coming back.

"It's because you love him spaceboy~"

She teased. Her smile grew as she watched Zim's face go a very deep shade of red.

"W-What?! What are you even implying Gaz??"

"You give each other pet names."

"No, we don't!"

"spaceboy."

"What?"

Zim's eyes widened and then came the screaming, The obnoxious irken was just screaming.

/////////////////////////////////////////

"Thoughts on Zim?"

Dib blinked once, then twice, as he turned his head over to her surprise. He decided she was just trying to break the silence, so that's what he did.

"He's..."

"An idiot?"

"I was going to just say he was oblivious, but yours is better."

The two laughed as they continued walking further and further into the woods.

Their laughter echoing into the night

/////////////////

"Tak, considering you've had more time exploring the world than me, I was wondering if you could give me a hint as to where we are heading?"

Tak turns and pauses, as she reaches towards the machine on her back. She pulls up a map from her pak, after giving it a brief command in irken, to which he couldn't understand.

"We are heading to the closest hotel, only a mile left."

"How did you manage to get us a room?"

"You humans are very simple to persuade." She glanced up at the boy, a smile on her face.

"Huh..well wait for a second..do, do you hear something?"

Her antennas perked up, looking around. As she did, her body went into a defensive position. 

"I hear something, and it sounds like a Voot cruiser."

_Dib's eyes widened and he started frantically looking around. Was it who they suspected it to be? Dib felt his body tremble and he started running, where he though zim was apparently. Tak ran after him, her Pak legs activated and her swooping in and swiftly dashing forward. The wind blew against the two as he held his glasses tightly._

_//////////////////_

_Zim's antenna's twitched, for some reason a familiar feeling of urgency swept inside of him again and he halted the cruiser. The sudden stop of the cruiser caused gaz and gir to fall out of their seats. Zim turned and apologized, chuckling nervously as his eyes quickly glanced around the area. There was nothing, yet there was a fear of something or for that matter someone. However, despite these thoughts, there was still not enough evidence to point to there being any hints anyway._

"Gaz, did you hear anything back there?"

"All I heard were the breaks and then my aching head." _She emphasized as she put a palm to her head and groaned._

_Zim sighed, maybe it was just his imagination? Still, he had his doubts. What if his antennas were correct? Though at this point, he was mildly irritated at best._

_///////////////////////////////////////_

_At best, anyway._


	5. illusions?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tak saw Zim first, her antennas twitched as she paused and her pak legs lowered her to the ground. She glanced behind her to see a tired dib as he approached out of breath. His voice raspy and his movements slower than usual.  
"H-Hold on there...I can't run as fast as you..."  
Still, even when her concern grew it was the nerves that took hold over her. Zim was the one who did ruin her life, but after being trapped and alone for so many urth rotations, she wasn't sure what she would do even do with herself.  
"Dib, I see him."  
She admitted out loud, she didn't want to say that at all, but that would be selfish.  
And everyone knew Tak wasn't selfish.

_Dib's heart was pumping as he searched for the voot cruiser as Tak ran ahead of him, Never in his life had he felt this much adrenaline and relief. Although he realized the closer he got, the more his mind yelled at him, warning him almost to turn back and run. Despite his mind screaming, he ignored it and pushed himself to go even faster. Somewhere deep, deep, deep inside dib, resided a strange, but a not unwelcome feeling. A smile formed as he laughed a bit. Tak saw Zim first, her antennas twitched as she paused and her pak legs lowered her to the ground. She glanced behind her to see a tired dib as he approached out of breath. His voice raspy and his movements slower than usual._

"H-Hold on there...I can't run as fast as you..."

_Still, even when her concern grew it was the nerves that took hold over her. Zim was the one who did ruin her life, but after being trapped and alone for so many urth rotations, she wasn't sure what she would do even do with herself._

"Dib, I see him."

_She admitted out loud, she didn't want to say that at all, but that would be selfish. _   
_And everyone knew Tak wasn't selfish. However, he was held back slightly. He turned to see Tak stop. He was about to remind her what they were doing here, when suddenly she held a protective arm over him, preventing him from moving forward anymore._

"What? What is it, Tak?" _He said as his eyebrows furrowed in concern._

/////////////////////

"Zim? Hey! Spaceboy! What's going on?" _Gaz said as she stared at him, Gir was still making random noises not helping Gaz's patience stay for any longer._

"It's Tak."

_She froze and turned to look in the same direction as the alien and her eyes opened and widened. She jumped out if the voot and took a few steps forward her eyes filled with something that ignited a thousand burning fires._

"Tak! Why do you have dib?!"

_Tak flinched as she stepped out and walked over to Gaz, dib following her. She tried to calm her, but the younger membrane sibling wasn't one to be messed with._

"I'm Ok Gaz!!"

_Dib said trying to stop whatever was about to occur between the two. They stopped, backed off. While only Gaz sent daggers in her direction with a deadly glare. Tak glanced over to Zim who had just been mesmerized by Dib this entire time, his face slowly flushing a light red. Gaz and Tak subtlely noted this as they kept their eyes trained on the other. Dib couldn't believe his eyes, sure Zim still looked the same, but there was something new as well. Zim was wearing..human clothes? his irken uniform appearing to be nowhere in sight. Of course, he still had his pak and everything much to Dib's relief. He also noticed the alien's unusual silence, along with some hesitance shown through his body movements, part of Dib wanted to hug him, the other wanted Zim to go first. He felt himself blush, a nervous smile on his face as he glanced away. On the other hand, Zim notices this and cocked his head to the side, his antenna raising slightly, while the other twitched._

"MARY'S BACK MASTER!!!" _shouted Gir excitedly_

_Gaz chuckled at the excitement, and walked over to her brother and felt his face looking at him, both siblings staring into caramel, honey drop, eyes. A smile appears on Gaz's face as she laughs, her laughs turned into choked, happy sobs. As she grabs Dib and pulls him close into a hug. He laughed as well embracing his younger sister as tears formed in his eyes. Both a crying mess, but thankful to see one another after so many years apart. The irkens smiled, Tak walked over to Zim and spoke._

"I know..it must be hard for you right now, I'm here, he's here and alive. Though I hope I can ease your conscience when I say I'm not here to hurt you or this planet, I'm here...to apologize for, well, everything." 

Zim turned to Tak and chuckled weakly as he watched the humans continue rejoicing, smiling just a bit as he spoke.

"I'm glad to hear that Tak, but how did you find...well Dib stink?"

Tak smiled as she shook her head slightly and yawned.

"My ship was gone and left here on this planet, I needed a way to get back to anywhere I could and made a spacecraft that had just enough power for a trip to urth, where I figured I would find my ship, only for me to crash near the Facility. As I sorted myself out a bunch of Humans came out telling each other to trap me, as I walked in with no weapon, just before I made it to the cell, I caught sight of Dib."

_Zim felt his eyes fill with tears as he cried a bit, surprising Tak and catching her off guard. She looked at him concerned, but he wasn't sad..he was just happy._

"Thank you, Tak."

////////////////////////////////

_The four all head back, Tak putting on her human disguise and Zim as well. They eventually end up returning to the membrane household, to which Gaz and Dib run in to find Professor Membrane. As the two eagerly make their way down the stairs to their father, both irkens trail behind amused at the energy._

”For all the Urth rotations I’ve been here for, these stinky humans never cease to amaze me.” _Zim laughed looking to Tak_.

_She only gave him an awkward smile, her eyes following Gaz and Dib. Zim picked up on this and his antenna twitched and fluttered over Tak curiously._

”You..you have feelings for..”

_Tak looked at him her eyes widened as her face grew hot. She yelled out to Gaz and Dib to wait up for them, Zim suddenly distracted by this, chased after, saving those thoughts for later. _

//////////////////////////////

**"Dad!",** _The siblings yelled out happily. _

_Professor Membrane turned surprised, his expression hard to determine from where Zim stood, although he seemed delighted enough when he lifted the kids. He let a hearty laugh out as he held them closely._

"I knew you would survive son, you're still a Membrane, I'm so proud of you!"

_Dib smile widened as he laughed relieved. _

/////////////////////////

"Enjoy being free of the mighty irken armada zim, but just know you messed with the wrong irken."

_Skoodge laughed evilly, as he placed a gentle hand onto a giant contraption giving it a light pat, as it's aimed towards the earth. _

////////////////////////////

A Few Hours Later...

///////////////////////////

"Hey Dib-stink, can I talk with you?"

Dib read aloud, he adjusted his glasses as he glanced down at Gir confused. He raises an eyebrow at the robot and speaks.

"Gir? where do I find Zim?"

Gir screamed and laughed chaotically causing the teen to visibly cringe. He watched the robot do crazy movements that seemed frantic almost, while it was usually amusing it just seemed to annoy Dib.

"MASTER IS ON THE BIG FLOOR IN THE STARS!!"

Dib looked up and nodded silently. He thanked the robot as he went to his bedroom, going over to the window. He quickly climbed onto the top of the roof seeing Zim with his disguise off. The irken sat there in silence staring up towards the sky. As the teen approached he noticed the antenna twitching, he smiled when the alien turned to him.

"Hey..."

_He said, he sat down next to him and sighed._

"So, what would you like to talk about space--"

_He was cut off by Zim looking at him, his expression hard to decipher. Then he spoke._

"I... thought y-you died."

_He said hesitantly. Dib watched his movements, a fluttering feeling in his stomach._

"Well, I'm glad to be the one informing you that I am alive."

_He smiled more as he leaned over to the irken and smirked._

"Besides... you can't get rid of me that easily Spaceboy."

_Zim's eyes widened as he felt his face heat up and backed away slightly, his pak having sparked a bit. His antennas raised high. Dib laughed a bit, happy to see zim again._

"I'm glad to see you again Zim."


End file.
